I Am Glad For Your Sake! [John 11:11-22]

This is what Jesus said when talking with the disciples about the death of Lazarus, his friend. He was glad he wasn’t there.         John 11:11-22

What an interesting statement that he was glad he wasn’t there for their sake. Of course Jesus knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead right. Ok but it would have been easier to heal him before he died. Yes it would have. But now it is going to bring more glory to the Father and also prove something else. The truth that Jesus has power over death which is the last enemy. Ok so that is awesome because our God doesn’t mess around. He is glorious and does impossible things.

He proves and shows us through all that Jesus did how great our God really is. He raises our faith as we see what He actually can do in lives. Now let’s consider this a little further. I heard this statement made by a speaker from Brazil, Ed Rocha, that really sparked my thinking about this story. What he said basically was this: Jesus wasn’t there when Lazarus died but God was since God is omnipresent! And Jesus said it was good that he, Jesus, was not there when he died!!

What an awesome earth shattering idea. Just follow me for a minute here on this thought. God is everywhere but the dead aren’t being raised and sick aren’t being healed everywhere. God was there but Jesus wasn’t! And Lazarus wasn’t going to be healed or raised from the dead unless Jesus showed up. Now that is a lot to think about. Isn’t it?

So could it be that Jesus was teaching (as he did with everything that he did) the disciples about the authority that Jesus had from heaven which is the same authority that is on all believers? This was an example or pattern for us to follow as well. Jesus was showing the disciples that God chooses to work through His children if we will just have faith and stand in the authority He has given us. This means the dead can be raised today if Jesus shows up!!?? And doesn’t He abide and live in us today?? Maybe we need to begin to understand just who we are walking around on the earth. Sons and daughters of God invested with authority from heaven to destroy the works of the enemy!!

Ok now that is quite a lot to think about. I will tell you that I have a brand new appreciation for this story in John 11. I am seeing more than every before why Jesus said it was good that he wasn’t there. Think about all the people around us and even around the world for that matter who are in need of someone that carries Jesus to come into their presence and bring good news of life to their broken condition. You are Jesus to people. Of course you are not God. Don’t get caught up in that game of semantics. Jesus lives in us and he uses us to lay hands on the sick, to preach the good news, to set prisoners free, etc. He has commissioned us to carry on the work(s) that He did on earth until He returns. Let’s get busy!!

Honor’s Reward

There is a phrase in Romans 13:7 that states simply  pay taxes, respect and honor to where it is due. Of course it is not a popular verse  heard very often. But there is a lot of truth in this verse that we would do well to incorporate in our lives. I want to focus only on the latter part: “honor to whom honor is due”. There is so much truth in understanding honor. To honor is to recognize and esteem. To lift above yourself.

Think about honor for a second. In the ten commandments it is the one commandment that includes a reward! Long life and good life are the reward of honoring our parents. Hmm. Could it be that there is a reward across the board when we practice honor? I believe scripture bears out this truth.

Jesus said if we receive a prophet because he is a prophet then he receives a prophets reward. Ever think about the reward? What kind of reward would come from recognizing and honoring a prophet? How about a word from God through the mouth of the prophet? A word in season for your life? I believe that and more will be the reward. And it is not only limited to recognizing a prophet. Jesus mentions a righteous man as well and receiving the reward of a righteous man. Think about how a righteous man is treated by the Lord! We could receive the benefits and rewards that a righteous man can bring. Here is one: a righteous man prays and is heard by God and accomplishes a lot! James 5:16, “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective”! What a reward for simply honoring people for who they are.

You see we need to recognize that there are gifts and grace deposited in people around us. Once we understand that and begin to honor that gifting in them then we begin to be rewarded by the grace that flows through their life. Even Jesus said in one place that he could only heal a few people because they did not honor him in his hometown. They saw the carpenters son rather than the son of God! So it is possible to miss out on so much because we fail to esteem others around us.

Here is another statement made by our Lord when in John 4 he meets a woman that comes to draw water out of a well. He says to her “if you knew the gift of God you would ask of him and he would give you”. Recognize the gift and receive what the gift can deliver. Honor people and recognize them the way God sees them and according to what God has deposited in them (gift) in order to begin receiving great benefits!!

More Evidence!

I noted several healings in my last blog and put down what I could remember so I could publish.  I thought I would add some others as I remembered. Yes I know I should have taken better notes. LOL. I get so caught up in seeing God touch lives that I forget everything else.

One lady had come to the meeting with some kind of rash on her neck, arms, chest. Right there in the meetings the rash went away entirely! I love seeing God do something like this because it is so obvious to everyone there. You can’t make this kind of thing up. She was so thrilled to be free from something that had been bothering her for some time.

It was also amazing to see the team talk about their times ministering to the people as they would go out to different works. There are 7 churches that have been started in smaller towns within a 2 hour driving distance from the city of Merida. We sent the team of 6 out two by two on separate evenings to three churches each night where they were to do the ministry. The same thing Jesus did with his disciples! And how God used them all mightily in each place. In one place they gave an invitation to know Jesus as savior and 50 people(half the people present!) raised their hands!! Most probably came by invitation for a special evening.

Each night the group would return with stories of how the grace of God touched people’s lives and you could tell they were changed never to be the same again. There is something about seeing the power of God work through you towards others and seeing the transforming power of Christ at work. You are changed! Your salvation deepens and your love for God becomes more genuine and real. Our God IS alive and there are many proofs of His presence.

God’s Grace At Work

Recently I made a trip to the Yucatan, Mexico. To be more precise I went to the city of Merida. A group of 6 joined me from our home church, Lifepoint Church in Tallahassee. It was a powerful trip from beginning to end. The people that went with me were such an awesome help and servants that were willing to do whatever was at hand. They left a lasting testimony of how the body of Christ is called to serve others.

Several notable healings took place and I am sure many more testimonies will be heard over time. One woman stood and said that she had been healed a year ago on another trip I had made but was too timid to share it!! She had a fractured spine and used a back brace and medication for the pain. But God touched her and brought instant healing to where she stopped using both the brace and the medication. Awesome!!

But I am getting ahead of myself. I know how Jesus felt every time He touched a person and brought help through healing or deliverance into their life. Eleven year old Genesis(that is her name) came up front after the service the first night with her dad and was crying. I asked her what was going on. I thought they came up for prayer. But the father said that she was healed during the meeting. “What happened?”, I asked. And they began to tell me that because of the use of forceps at birth her right arm had a permanent injury which limited her use of it. She could not lift it higher than chest high and could not grip things even like shaking a hand. God miraculously healed her! She began lifting her arm over her head and swinging it around as tears(now mine included) were running down her face!!

Another woman had come to the meeting with a great deal of swelling in her ankles and one foot. She actually couldn’t stand on one leg because of the pain. Well that changed as she stood in front of everyone pushing down on both feet and showing us that all the swelling had disappeared!!

During another meeting I remember mentioning to the people that God was healing them even as we were doing other things. One lady stood after and said that when she heard that it wasn’t but a few seconds that her digestive system began to move around. She said it felt like she was being given a replacement for the one she had!! She noted a remarkable change. You see she had digestive issues since she was a young girl and just lived with it for about the last 30 years!!

I was so excited to see many backs healed in the services. People visibly doing things they were not able to do before that moment because of pain or other ailments. Many healings of all kinds were taking place. We are waiting for the evidence to come back after check ups and/or time. What an awesome God of compassion we serve. You know I can’t explain why everyone is not healed but I do know one thing. I am going to celebrate the ones that are and keep praying for all the rest. There was definitely a greater number of remarkable and visible healings on this trip. Let’s press in towards the grace of God and continue to believe that He will do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ask or think. I trust these few testimonies bless you and give you increased faith in God working for you. I believe HE will bless you!!